Pill could cut cancer and heart disease risk

Taking the pill can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, according to research out yesterday.

Researchers from Wayne State University in Detroit used data from 162,000 women in the largest and most comprehensive study of the long-term consequences of taking the contraceptive.

The findings contradict previous research suggesting a link with heart disease and tumours, and will prove reassuring to the 3 million women who take the pill in Britain.

The study found that birth control pills reduce the incidence of heart attacks and other forms of cardiovascular disease and lower the incidence of certain types of cancer, including ovarian and endometrial cancer.

Oral contraceptives were found to have no effect on rates of breast and cervical cancer, high blood pressure and stroke - all of which have been suggested as dangers by previous research.

Rahi Victory, who led the research, said: "These are important findings that contravene previous results on links between oral contraceptives and cardiovascular disease.

"These data suggest that oral contraceptive use has important benefits, and that if you use them for a longer time you get an increased benefit. If you use oral contraceptives early on you're probably going to be protected later in life."

The findings were presented in Philadelphia at a conference held by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. They are the latest to emerge from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which has linked hormone replacement therapy to breast cancer, heart disease and strokes.

The study used the WHI's database of 161,809 women who had taken the pill at one time or another to investigate whether it had any impact on developing heart disease or lung cancer. The results were compared with those women who had not taken it.

Studies since the introduction of the pill in the 1960s have repeatedly claimed that the hormones in the pill increased the risk of heart disease. But Michael Diamond, part of the research team, said the research found the hormones reduced the risk of hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms and high cholesterol by between 8% and 10%.

Taking the pill reduced the need for surgical procedures such as angiograms and bypasses by 20% to 50%. The longer women took the pill, the greater the reduction in risk. Overall, women who took the pill had a 7% lower risk of cancer.

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: "Given that so many women use the pill as their main form of contraception, any study that shows health benefits above and beyond its excellent record on preventing pregnancy is to be welcomed."

Experts said the findings would have to be replicated in further research before use of the pill could be recommended as anything other than a form of contraception.